Shortcuts: prickly act, comical claims and weaving magic

John Bailey

PRICKLY ACT Geelong's Back to Back Theatre earned an unconditionally awed review in The New York Times last week after the NY debut of its Ganesh Versus the Third Reich, which premiered as part of the Melbourne Festival in 2011. The Times' Ben Brantley described the production as ''a vital, senses-sharpening tonic for theatregoers who feel they've seen it all'', praising ''the prickly and gratifying intelligence of this strong and singular work''. The company's next work is already in development - Laser Beak Man is another collaborative work of collective imagination, inspired by the unmistakeable creations of Australian Tim Sharp, an artist with autism whose work includes his own series on Foxtel's Cartoon Network. Laser Beak Man opens in Sydney in September before a Malthouse Theatre production in November this year.

COMICAL CLAIMS You're a funny one, even if you don't know it. That's the gist behind a coming lecture to be delivered by David Woods as part of the School of Life's Sunday Sermons series. The veteran theatremaker is one half of UK duo Ridiculusmus and also an acclaimed performer in his own right (he was an original cast member in Back to Back Theatre's Ganesh Versus the Third Reich, above); in On Humour he will get philosophical about the more profound nature of comedy, staking a claim for ''a mode of being that we can call the comic, an attainable state that is a catalyst for joyous communal laughter and a pathway to the furtherance of humankind's brilliance''. Drawing on thinkers from Erasmus to Freud, Woods distinguishes a variety of humours including the toxic, sentimental, functional and soulful. There will probably be more than a few laughs in there, too. The Sermon takes place on Sunday February 3 at the Wheeler Centre. More details can be found at theschooloflife.com/shop/melbourne-summer-term.

Geelong's Back to Back Theatre makes it big in New York with Ganesh Versus the Third Reich. Photo: Jeff Busby

WEAVING MAGIC Jacki Weaver's second Oscar nomination has come as cause for celebration locally, not least in the offices of Melbourne Theatre Company. MTC had already secured the increasingly in-demand actor for her only stage appearance in 2013, in June's Solomon and Marion. The play is the Australian premiere of a South African production that traces an unexpected bond arising between two people in a remote African village. Weaver first caught the work in Cape Town and has since described it as very close to her heart. The production is directed by Pamela Rabe with Pacharo Mzembe co-starring. Details are at mtc.com.au.

CINEPHILES UNITEThe Red Shoes, or Step up 4: Miami Heat? There are no sure bets as to what the Australian Ballet's David McAllister will pick as his top five films for a coming Desert Island Flicks session at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). He might not opt for dance movies at all, though it seems unlikely that his 30 years with the AB have been overly influenced by Scorsese and Tarantino. McAllister is described as a lifelong cinephile, and given the century-plus history of dazzling dance on screen, he might unearth a few little-known gems. He will be discussing his selections on Thursday February 14 at 7pm. Tickets are on sale now at acmi.net.au.